Photodetector devices are commonly employed for converting optical signals to electrical signals in a variety of applications. Such photodetectors are used, for instance, in connection with optical transmitters to monitor the output power of an optical signal produced by the optical transmitter, and as optical receivers to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal.
As an optoelectronic device, photodetectors are susceptible to damage resulting from electrostatic discharge (“ESD”) that may occur when a high potential difference is applied across the contacts of the device. At the same time, there is an interest in maximizing the amount of sensitive surface area on photodetectors. Unfortunately, some approaches to ESD risk reduction in photodetectors often result in a corresponding reduction of the overall sensitive surface area of the device.